The Civil Department of the Prosecutor’s Office consists of eleven staff including seven attorneys, two paralegals, one public records specialist and one legal secretary. Each of the seven (7) attorneys is assigned various statutory clients.
The Civil Department acts as a law firm representing Spokane County Government to include all County elected and appointed officials as well as County departments.
County elected officials include the Assessor, Auditor, Clerk, Commissioners, District Court Judges, Prosecutor, Sheriff, Superior Court Judges, and Treasurer.
County departments include Board of Equalization, Building & Planning, Civil Services, Facilities Maintenance, Community Services, Cooperative Extension, Counsel for Defense, Detention Services, Environmental Services, Facilities, Fair & Exposition Center, Hearing Examiner, Housing & Community Development, Human Resources, Information Technology, Labor Relations, Medical Examiner Parks, Recreation & Golf, Pretrial Services, Public Works, Public Defender, Public Information and Communications, and 911.
The Civil Department provides legal advice to the entire County’s elected officials and department on legal matters. It also represents County elected officials and departments in civil litigation not handled by the Washington Counties Risk Pool in state and federal courts.
The range of legal representation provided by the Civil Department is expansive and covers virtually every aspect of civil law.
The Civil Department also represents professionals at five involuntary treatment facilities in conjunction initial detention petitions and petitions for involuntary treatment of 14, 90 and 180 days orders under the Involuntary Treatment Act.